Rurouni Jedi
by Julia Mars
Summary: What if Anakin was not the only possible Chosen One? This chronicles another potential, who has quite the story of her own... rated M for some language and mostly dark/disturbing pasts in later parts.
1. Part I: five years prior to Episode I

The sun was sinking behind the choppy Couruscant Skyline of skyscrapers and high flying traffic, giving the city an amber-crimson glow. The low, rounded senate building was covered in the shadows of the other structures. The Jedi Temple rose up with the mightiest of the governmental offices; despite the fact that the Jedi and their High Council were technically under Chancellor Valorum and the Senate, everyone knew that the Jedi ran the galaxy, even if it was unintentionally.

Mace Windu was returning from a meeting with the Chancellor about Trade taxation when he took in this sight. He looked up at the Temple; its lower levels were made of stones whereas the higher looked more modern. It had been added to as the number of Jedi had grown. Mace Windu sighed contentedly, for his home was certainly the most unique on the planet.

Suddenly, he sensed something was not right. Mace's senses directed him immediately to a small girl playing near the bottom of the stair-step. She couldn't have been more than eight by the looks of her, but there seemed to be no parent around. Mace Windu started over to the pale little girl with dark red hair, but she glanced back quickly and got up to run.

"Don't be afraid," said Windu gently. "Where are your parents?"

"I don't have any," said the girl. "I don't need them." She turned to look at him through brilliant, bright blue eyes and twirled a lock of dark red hair around her finger.

"Where do you live, dear?" Windu asked again.

"Here," she said simply. Mace cocked his head to the side; could this be a Padawan? She couldn't be, he knew all of them. She seemed to know his confusion and gestured toward the street.

"Are you an orphan?" Mace asked.

"Don't know," she sighed. "I've been on my own here for as long as I can remember. If I do have parents, they don't care about me. No one's ever tried to find me, like they did all my friends."

"Where are your friends?" asked Windu, intrigued by this insightful little girl.

"Adopted, arrested or dead," said the girl harshly. "Are you trying to make me a statistic or are you asking because you genuinely care about kids like me?"

Windu looked intensely at her as only a Jedi could. She was one of the wisest non-Jedi to whom he had ever spoken, regardless of her age. "What's your name, young one?" he asked.

"Jiruan," she said quietly.

"Come with me, Jiruan," said Windu. "I believe I know a way to help you."

"Who are you?" she asked with a sneer.

"You may call me Master Windu," he said majestically.

Jiruan gasped," You're Jedi Master Mace Windu! What do you want with me?"

Windu smiled and beckoned her onward.

Hours later, Jiruan was tucked into her first actual bed. The Jedi Council wasn't sure what to do about her but decided to keep her in for the night. Ironically, she was too suspicious of the circumstances to sleep. Her unease was due to a quasi guilt trip. She hadn't lied to the Jedi Master about anything; he just hadn't asked about everything. Jiruan had actually come to the Temple as a last resort. She was hoping they could help her find answers. Jiruan regretted one thing about being abandoned: she didn't know the history of the Force in her family. As far as she knew, the Council always wanted to know parentage before training a child as a Jedi. It had been Jiruan's secret dream to be a Jedi, but she hadn't thought herself capable until lately when objects and occasionally people started flying around when she had a nightmare.

"Natoku, you where right," Jiruan whispered. Natoku was her dearest friend who had died from stray blaster fire a year ago. She was the first one of Jiruan's friends who had thought Jiruan could be a Jedi.

"If only you could see me now."

The High Jedi Council met later that week in the evening. The room usually bright as the living Force, was candlelit and gave the best view of the artificially lit city.

"Master Windu, what is the case of this outsider you have found?" asked Ki-Adi-Mundi, leaning his tall head forward.

"Highly unusual, this situation is," added Yoda objectively.

"Do you wish to have her tested?" asked Yarel Poof, bending his long neck down almost to eyelevel.

"I am not yet certain," said Windu thoughtfully. "Jiruan is one of the most observant people I've ever seen, regardless of her age. I fear she is too old, though…"

"She has no worldly connections?" inquired Plo Koon.

"She was abandoned by her parents and her friends, through one way or another, are gone," replied Windu.

"Then test her, we shall," said Yoda finitely.

The masters sensed before they heard someone coming down the hall. Twenty-year-old Obi-Wan Kenobe slid to a halt in the doorway. He and his Master, Qui-Gon Jinn had just returned from a mission on Malastar.

"Please excuse my interruption, Masters," he said, bowing his head slightly. "My master thinks you should see what's happening down the hall. It's about the orphan."

Mace Windu rose immediately as Yoda activated his hover chair. The other Masters remained seated as the situation did not require an entire council. Obi-Wan led the two Masters to the doorway of Jiruan's room where Qui-Gon stood, watching in amazement. He bowed his head and moved aside for Windu and Yoda to see.

Jiruan was sound asleep, apparently having a nightmare. Anything not nailed down was flying around the room in fast, random motion. She flinched a split second before each collision as though she was not reacting to but causing them.

"Be required, the tests shall not," said Yoda, using the Force to stop an object from knocking his hover chair. "Strong with her, the Force is. Learn control, she must."

"Master Qui-Gon, we await your report. Leave your apprentice to calm her," said Mace Windu, ahd he and Yoda left them to return to the Council. Jiruan's eyes popped open a moment after they were gone and everything fell to the floor. She bolted upright and gasped for breath as though she had been running.

"See that she is all right, Obi-Wan," instructed Qui-Gon. Obi-Wan nodded and Qui-Gon left in the direction that the Masters had. Obi-Wan ventured into the room.

"Who are you? What do you want?" shouted Jiruan the moment she saw him. She gathered herself up at the head of the bed with a look of absolute fear.

Obi-Wan chuckled, "Don't be afraid. My name is Obi-Wan Kenobi. What's yours?"

"Jiruan, but why do you care? None of the rest do," she replied icily.

"The rest?" inquired Obi-Wan. "I though you hadn't met anyone here yet."

A look of relief spread across her face. "You're a Jedi?" Jiruan asked calmly, softening.

"Except for you, everyone in the Jedi Temple is a Jedi or in training to be one," said Obi-Wan gently, controlling his amusement at this little girl. "What did you think I was?"

Jiruan refused to meet his eyes and pretended she hadn't heard him. "How old are you?" she asked stiffly.

"I'm twenty," he replied, remembering how he had asked similar questions every time an apprentice visited the temple. "How old are you, Jiruan?"

"I'm an orphan, I don't know!" she replied as she laughed away the tension. "Some of the older kids that found me said I'm about eight."

Obi-Wan was very impressed with the maturity of this eight-year-old. Most at the Temple were too stuck up to be of interest to him. Jiruan, on the other hand, was beyond them all in ability and modesty. She started surveying her hands in near amazement.

"What is it?" Obi-Wan asked.

"They're smooth…" said Jiruan. "They were so rough when I got here. How long have I been sleeping?"

"A while, I would guess," replied Obi-Wan. "I arrived with my Master yesterday and you've been out cold until now."

"This is the first time in nearly a week that you've woken," said Mace Windu in the doorway. Obi-Wan rose immediately and bowed. Jiruan hesitated but decided to do the same. Windu smiled at her.

"Thank you, Master, for your kindness," she said as she stood up. "I feel bad that I've taken advantage of all this. I insist you let me pay you back in labor."

"That will not be necessary, Jiruan," said Windu with a chuckle at her ploy to stay. "The Council has noticed your unique talents."

"Talents?" 

"You are very gifted, Jiruan," said Windu. "The Force is unusually strong with you. Had your birth been registered at a Republic hospital, you would have been brought here early. It is incredibly strange that you have some conscious ability in the Force with no instruction."

"What does that mean will happen to me?" asked Jiruan cautiously.

Mace Windu walked over to her and knelt down to her eye level and said, "Welcome to the Jedi Order."


	2. Part II: concurrent to Episode I

The lightsaber flew to Jiruan's waiting hand and ignited immediately, the blue blade cutting through the darkness like a flame. She wielded it in the circular motions of Form 3 and abruptly switched to the fencing style of Form 2 to stab through one of the orbs circling her. She aimed the weapon over her left shoulder to hit another orb, turning to face it at the same time. A small orb by her right knee was no problem as she swept at it one handed, slicing it in two perfect halves.

"Jiruan, why did you do that?" cried the instructor. "Destroying our few training droids was not the point of the exercise!"

Jiruan ripped off the blindfold and switched off the lightsaber as she replied, "You said the object was to not get zapped and I didn't."

"You were supposed to block the shots, not destroy the machine!" groaned the instructor with his head in his hands. "The lightsaber isn't supposed to be on a high enough power to cut through anything. Considering that I don't have access to any more druids, class dismissed."

The class of eleven to thirteen year-olds filed out into the halls of the Jedi Temple a half hour earlier than usual. The windows showed a normal, bright, beautiful day and a cloudless sky. It was by far not a normal day to Jiruan and her friends, though.

"Ronin! Rurini!" she called to a tall boy and an obviously related short girl a few feet apart in the crowd. They both saw her and the three of them worked their way apart from the crowd.

"I almost forgot that today was the day," said Rurini. Small, blonde haired, tan and brown eyed, she was easily mistaken for an Apprentice senator, which would come in handy later.

"What are you talking about?" said Ronin. Tall, dark haired yet the same tanned skin and brown eyes, he could easily mix with any crowd- also handy for later.

"The Queen of Naboo is arriving with Master Qui-Gon Jinn today!" explained Jiruan excitedly. Her dark red hair, piercing blue eyes and very fair skin made her extremely noticeable- a slight problem for later at first, but a workable one.

"Oh no, not another crazy plan," groaned Ronin. I tell you every time: get me expelled and I'll kill you."

"As always, I'll remind you that if we got tossed out, you couldn't afford to kill me," snapped Jiruan with a crossed arms and a defiant stance.

Rurini sighed. "Do you two have that out of your systems?" she asked impatiently.

Ronin considered a moment before he replied, "Yes, I think so. Where are we off to?"

Jiruan smiled mischieviously and led them the other way from the rest of the class. Everyone else would have nothing to do until lunch and therefore Jiruan, Ronin and Rurini wouldn't turn up missing for a few hours. Jiruan led her friends to the place where they'd hidden their cloaks earlier. It would be much easier to blend into crowds in a cloak to cover the taditional Padawan tunics that all students wore.

"Why did I agree to come on this again?" asked Ronin half an hour later as they were making their way through the sky bus routes to the Senate landing platform.

"Because she's hot," said Rurini flatly. "You weren't going to come until you saw a picture, remember?"

"Oh yeah…"

"How you can consider her good looking through face powder and gowns thicker than your head is beyond me," joked Jiruan. Ronin glared at her briefly.

"So where are we going?" asked Rurini.

"Hopefully to the landing platform," said Jiruan. She looked out the window of the dismal sky bus in search of the right platform. "There it is!"

Ronin pulled the cord by their heads to stop the bus and open the door, but the bus didn't lower to the platform as it was supposed to. The three considered the drop for a moment; it was larger than they had attempted ever at the Temple but still not terribly far…

"If you're waiting for it to drop, you'll wait forever, kids," said a voice behind them. The three of them whipped their heads around to see to whom the voice belonged. A large, brown creature with an extra set of arms and a very wide, welcoming grin was watching them intently. He continued, "That's official Senate stuff; the public bus system can't go near it."

"Damn," muttered Runin.

"How do you know...?" asked Jiruan.

"Jiruan, come on! We'll miss the landing at this rate!" nagged Rurini.

"She's right, Ji," said Ronin.

Jiruan checked the drop again as well as the position of the sun in the sky before voicing her decision. "I know," she sighed. "Let's go before I change my mind." Rurini jumped first; Ronin and Jiruan grabbed hands and followed her. The stranger watched them land a few stories below in the speeder by the platform without a scratch.

"Crazy Jedi," he muttered to himself as the bus sped off to his diner on the other side of the planet.

Ten meters below in the speeder, Jiruan, Ronin and Rurini stared in awe at the elegance of the whole place. Ronin and Rurini had only seen Couruscant outside the Jedi Temple a few times and Jiruan hadn't seen her old world in years. Somehow, Chancellor Valorum and Senator Palpatine did not notice that three padawan's had just landed behind them

"There it is," gasped Rurini. Jiruan was already watching it land. The outside, though slightly burned and corroded in places, was a shiping silver, reflecting the sunlight in all directions. Its sleek design made it bend in almost completely with the sky.

"Here they come," said Ronin under his breath.

First off the ship were the pilot and the Queen's security detail. They bowed to the Chancellor and Senator before stepping aside. The Queen's handmaidens were next. There were only three along on this trip. They were dressed in hooded robes that were red at the top and faded through orange to yellow at the bottom. They bowed their heads and moved aside. Finally, the Queen was in view. She was dressed in a regal black, hooded robe. It was beaded and feathered but the focal point to Jiruan was the absolute determination in the Queen's eyes. She said something to the Senator and Chancellor, then the party left the platform. An awkward and strange creature as well as an unfamiliar boy of about the age Jiruan had been when she had come to the Temple closely followed them. Only now did Jiruan, Ronin and Rurini now noticed the Jedi. Qui-Gon Jinn said something to the Chancellor and next to him was his Apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi, who was looking at the boy ahead of them.

The three of them held a collective breath as the Queen and her company climbed into the speeder ahead of them, enabling the group to hear Qui-Apprentice tell the Chancellor, **"I must speak with the Jedi Council immediately. The situation has become much more complicated."**

"What situation are they talking about?" asked Ronin in a whisper, completely oblivious. Jiruan quietly and quickly explained about the blockade and invasion. She had been following it for months. "Why bother with a blockade if you're going to invade?" asked Ronin with a frown when she'd finished.

"I'm not exactly sure," replied Jiruan, "but that's why we're going to sneak into the Senate hearing this evening."

"What?" explained brother and sister.

"Actually, you're not going to be sneaking anywhere," said a richly accented voice in front of them. Jiruan froze; she remembered that voice. She looked up slowly only to see Obi-Wan Kenobi looking at them with a smirk that could stretch across the galaxy.

"You're not going to tell, are you?" choked Ronin, being the first to recover a voice.

"I should…" Obi-Wan contemplated aloud. "It works a whole lot better when you get an Apprentice senator working with you; I would think between the three of you, you'd figure that out."

Ronin and Rurini gaped at the Padawan Apprentice. Jiruan, on the other hand, knew how this soon-to-be-Jedi was a child at heart. She knew for a fact that he had been less than kosher before he was an Apprentice.

"It's great to see you again, Obi-Wan," said Jiruan, beaming. Ronin and Rurini couldn't stop their jaws from dropping.

"I see you still haven't changed, Jiruan," he replied, still beaming. "Why are you trying to get in to the Senate hearing?"

"I've been following the situation on Naboo…" said Jiruan suspiciously. Obi-Wan could easily tell that there was more but decided to wait until her friends where elsewhere.

"I was going to watch anyways," he replied. "I'll take you with me, if you like. As for now, I'm going back to the Temple and taking you three with me."

"If I may ask," Jiruan began as they started back, "who was that boy?"

Obi-wan snorted in disgust, "I'll tell you as soon as it stops making me nauseous."

"I figured they wouldn't come," Jiruan said about her absent friends that afternoon as she and Obi-wan wandered through the Senate building. "This was my idea. I talked them into it."

"Why so interested in Naboo?" asked Obi-Wan as they started toward the Jedi's booth in the Senate.

"Curiosity," replied Jiruan. "You know the Queen is only a year older than I am?"

"She is?" said Obi-Wan as they turned a corner. "I thought she was older."

"Most people think that," said Jiruan as they reached their destination: the Jedi's booth in the Senate. The Jedi technically had not vote in the Senate, but they occasionally presented information or observed a particularly important vote. Obi-Wan led Jiruan onto the platform and she gazed for the first time at a full Galactic Senate. It looked like the inside of a regal beehive.

"There's Naboo's seat," said Obi-Wan, pointing over to the left. There sat the Queen in all her glory. Her hair was split into two gigantic pigtails coming out of a huge bead on top of her head. She wore the traditional face powder and paint as well as the red and gold embroidered senatorial address gown.

"She's beautiful," Jiruan whispered. She stared intently at the spectacle, wishing with all her might that…

"You can put your eyes back in any time now," joked Obi-wan. Jiruan glared at him and sat down. The bureaucrats and assistants of Supreme Chancellor Valorum were attempting to quiet the crowd. The Queen was recognized and she began her speech, only to be interrupted by the Trade Federation. They were quieted at first but eventually received the diversion for which they'd been aiming. Chancellor Valorum asked Amidala to defer.

"How can he say that?" exclaimed Obi-Wan. "Especially after the show of loyalty he put on earlier!"

The Queen rose to her defense and announced, **"I will not defer. I have come before you to resolve this attack on out sovereignty now."** She paused momentarily before continuing with, **"If this body is no longer capable of action, I suggest new leadership is needed. I move for a vote of no confidence in Chancellor Valorum."**

There was no class the rest of the day because of the political situation. All the instructors were waiting for information to come and were busy doing various things. There were rumors running all over about the boy who had arrived with Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan. Most were completely insane, but Jiruan still attempted to meditate over it. She chose a windowed room with a small, rocky waterfall and a painting of an ancient Jedi from before the days of the lightsaber. The man in the picture held an actual metal blade on the near prehistoric weapon. Jiruan had discovered in previous meditations in that room that the weapon had been called a Katana.

Jiruan was rather unconventional when it came to meditation. Upon entering the room, she laid down on her back spread eagle and shut her eyes. This room was always particularly nice because of the soft music of the waterfall… Jiruan let her mind wander. The picture of the ancient Jedi on the wall seemed to come alive, swinging his Katana with unseen power… Samurai, that's what his kind had been called… the man raced into swirling colors and disappeared in the spiral. The swirl led to a sandy scene; a desert. Creatures from all over the galaxy were climbing into machines, presumably for a race. The race started and they all took off… Soon the scene dissolved into the end of the race. A small pod racer crossed the finish line and out of it jumped the boy who had arrived with Qui-Gon. The race played in flashes of still pictures, showing the crowd. Qui-Gon was there, as well as the strange creature that had exited the royal starship with the Queen's group. An older woman, presumably the boy's mother, stared at the race, looking completely horrified. Next to her was a young girl who looked strangely familiar; she could have been a handmaiden. The end of the race replayed in slow motion and Jiruan suddenly felt a strong wave of the Force coming from the boy's pod.

"He's using the Force to steer!" she breathed as she sat bolt upright, breaking out of the meditation. Somehow, this boy kept his pod on course using the Force, even though he'd never had any formal training… it was too familiar...

"Are you ok?" asked a voice in the doorway. Jiruan glanced over to see who had spoken only to see the very boy from her visions in meditation. He was wearing the same simple clothing, and his sandy blonde hair laid freely as though he'd never seen a comb.

"I'm fine," replied Jiruan. "You must be the boy they're all talking about."

"I guess so," said the boy. Jiruan beckoned him inside.

"What's your name?" she asked gently.

"Anakin Skywalker," he said softly.

"Well, Anakin, if you don't mind me asking," Jiruan began abruptly, "Where did you come from?

Anakin stared at her; he was a bit taken aback, but before she opened her mouth to make amends, he said, "Don't apologize. You're just the first person who's been honest with me. I know everyone else wants to know, but they just keep lying to me and acting like I'm no different from everyone else here."

Jiruan looked at him with a look of satisfaction, as though he had shown something impressive or passed a sort of test. Anakin started his answer to her questions.

"My mother and I… worked for a Toydarion on Tatooine," he began. "We were slaves, actually. Qui-, er, Master Qui-Gon came into out shop looking for parts. His ship's hyperdrive was out and they were looking for a new one. They found it, but didn't have any money. I offered to race in the pod race and give them the prize money."

"I take it you won," said Jiruan with a knowing smile.

"Yeah, I did," Anakin stated as though it was the natural order of things, bordering on bragging. "We sold the pod, and then I found out that Qui-Gon freed me so I could be trained as a Jedi."

"I see," said Jiruan slowly, attempting to process all this information. Anyone could tell he was strong in the Force by the way he answered questions that had not yet been asked, a trait Jiruan had possessed. She could also tell that he missed his mother deeply by the emotion in his voice.

"So what about you?" asked Anakin, breaking Jiruan from her trance-like state. "I don't even know your name."

"It's Jiruan," she replied. "I guess you could say I'm like you in the fact that I came here much later than usual. The kids on the streets took me in when I was about four, and we don't know what happened to my parents. My friends were all either adopted or killed by the time I was eight so I came here on a whim. They took me in for a night and then let me stay," she explained.

Anakin nodded and looked at the waterfall for a moment. "How old are most kids when they come here?" he asked.

Jiruan figured ages for a moment. "As young as possible," she answered. "My friend, Rurini, doesn't remember anything from her life before the Jedi Temple. Her brother remembers what their parents look like, but not their names. I don't know why they brought the two of us here so late," she added, unconsciously predicting his question.

"Maybe we're special," Anakin hypothesized. "Something about us was… I don't know, extraordinary."

Jiruan sighed, "I've been trying to figure that out for almost five years. I've asked teacher, Masters, Jedi, students, Obi-Wan; I've meditated; nothing worked." She looked at the waterfall again to clear her mind. "So anyways, did they test you?"

"Yes," he replied nervously. "They tested me last night, I think while Queen Amidala was speaking to the senate. I don't think I did that well.."

"Believe me, no one ever thinks he or she did well," said Jiruan with a laugh.

"What about you?" Anakin asked quickly.

Jiruan paused abribtly. "I think I had a nightmare and apparently I was using the Force to move evertying in the room that wasn't tied down," she answered thoughtfully. "My friends on the street told me I did that, too."

"Did you know you did that? Moved objects with your mi- the Force?" asked Anakin. He was still adjusting to the Jedi world and terminology.

"I did eventually," Jiruan replied. "I finally managed it while conscious a year before I came here. Why?"

Anakin took a deep breath and told her about the end of the pod race and how he'd willed the pod to cross the finish line. Jiruan tried her best to be surprised but broke down and told him she'd seen it in meditation.

"You certainly meditate a lot," said Anakin. "I don't think I have the patience."

"You'll learn," said Jiruan as she got to her feet. Anyways, is there anywhere you're supposed to be?"

"Yes, I need to meet Qui-Gon and Obi-wan by the High Council's area of the Temple," Anakin told her. "Do you know how I can get back there?"

"I'll take you, if you like," offered Jiruan. Anakin smiled and they left for the High Council's level of the Temple. They continued their discussion and Jiruan told him how she had been following the situation on Naboo. She finally confessed that she wondered what it was like to be in that position, what would have happened if she, Jiruan, had been Queen instead of a street child turned Padawan. Anakin also spilled how he didn't think Obi-Wan liked him very much.

"Don't feel bad about that," Jiruan told him. "A lot of people are an acquired taste to Obi-Wan."

"I don't think he wants me trained," said Anakin. They had reached the esteemed area by now, and Jiruan bid Anakin goodbye. She watched to see that Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan found him before she left. As soon as she was back to the Padawan floors, Jiruan ducked into a corner and put her hands on her temples as though to contain all that she had learned from Anakin. She could tell he would be great, but it was unclear whether he would be Jedi or not. Aptitude for using the Force seemed as natural to him as breathing, but Jiruan sensed great emotion in him when he spoke of people he'd known. Padmé, the handmaiden Anakin had befriended, seemed to be the biggest source of emotion in him, which was never good in any Jedi.

Anakin's excessive feelings weren't the only things bothering Jiruan. The think making her the uneasiest was the strange connection she'd gelt between the two of them. It seemed to be through he Force, but Jiruan feared that it was too strong to ignore. She laid back on the wall and tried to concentrate, but her apprehension made this impossible. All she could take away from the experience was a strong feeling that their destinies were unavoidably entwined.

News spread like wild fire that evening that Anakin was not going to be trained. Jiruan felt guilty that she was relieved by this news.

"I don't understand," said Ronin that day in the ill-used recreation room for the Padawans. "They took you in when you were eight. He's nine. What's the big deal?"

"Jiruan's a girl," said Rurini jokingly, reclining on the couch. "She was more mature."

"No," groaned Jiruan. "I had no worldly connections whereas he has a mother back on Tatooine for whom he cares very much. Anakin's much more emotional that I was."

"Oh," brother and sister mumbled indifferently.

The news had also come that Queen Amidala and her entourage were returning to Naboo. Many mocked her and called her a foolish girl, but Jiruan knew she would have done the same. The Senate hadn't functioned as it was originally intended to for years; any progress would have to be self-made.

Amidala left late that night. Qui-Gon and Obi-wan were assigned to go with her. For the time being, Anakin was to go with them; the Council had postponed further decision about him until the political situations on Couruscant and Naboo wre resolved. Jiruan said goodbye to Anakin and Obi-Wan that morning on the platform. Queen Amidala herself passed by and acknowledged Jiruan's presense with a nod and smile. Mace Windu, who had also bid the Jedi goodbye, escorted Jiruan back to the Temple afterwards.

"I see you and Anakin have become fast friends, Jiruan," said Master Windu as they entered the Senate building.

"You could say that, Master," she replied politely. "Master, I felt a… some sort of… connection to Anakin. The Force seemed stronger between the two of us than I've ever felt it anywhere," she explained.

"I am not surprised," said Windu, unfazed. "You both are very gifted."

"Master Windu, will they all come back all right?" asked Jiruan with childish innocence and ignorance of war.

"It is uncertain," the esteemed Jedi replied honestly. "The Dark Side clouds much of it. You, however, have something else to which you should devote your attention."

Jiruan stared up at him in confusion. "What do you mean, Master?" she inquired.

"You shall be turning thirteen soon, as you know. Many Jedi have wanted you as a Padawan, but we have requested that you remain here as long as possible. The time has come, though, for you to leave the Temple as an Apprentice," he explained.

"Who shall my master be?" asked Jiruan politely, failing to control her excitement.

"Master Ten-Hi Tsugimiru has displayed interest in you since her first visit to the Temple. She shall be your new master," said Windu.

Jiruan first attempted to hide her elation and then remembered that it was futile around Mace Windu. The joy was due to the fact that Ten-hi Tsugimiru was a younger Jedi who balanced fun and duty perfectly. "When am I due to leave?" she almost squeaked.

"Ten-hi arrives this evening and you will leave with her when she goes," Windu informed her. By now they had reached the Temple once again. Jiruan bowed quickly and raced up the ziggurat two steps at a time. Mace Windu watched the spirited young redhead almost fly up the steps and marveled at how she had grown in so many ways in such a short time. He certainly wouldn't be alone in missing her.

The news came a few days later that Amidala had allied with the Gungans to draw the droids out of the city and then capture the Viceroy. She had sent her pilots to knock out the one remaining droid control ship, but it wasn't one of the pilots who fired the fateful shots; Anakin had. All went well until the report turned deadly. The Sith who had shown up on Tatooine had appeared again. Obi-Wan ultimately defeated him, but not before the Menace had defeated Qui-Gon. Jiruan and Ten-Hi Tsugimiru attended the funeral on Naboo before embarking on their first assignment together.

"You've done this before, Jiruan!" exclaimed Ten-Hi as Jiruan piloted the ship off of Couruscant. Her dark eyes sparkled with pride. Short yet powerful, Ten-Hi wore Jedi robes darker than most, her tunic and cloak being a dark mahogany. It set off her light brown hair regally.

"I've just been through a lot of simulators," said Jiruan modestly after the ship was in hyperdrive. Her long red hair had been pulled back. The traditional Jedi Apprentice braid that defined her was wrapped around her hair and fell on her right shoulder. Jiruan was still small and thing from her street days; her reddish-brown tunic almost hung off of her frame. She pulled her black-crimson cloak around herself to hide it.

"So, my young Padawan, I'm told you've been keeping up with the situation on Naboo," said Ten-Hi. Jiruan nodded. "Perhaps you could fill me in? I've been off planet."

Jiruan smiled; this was her area of expertise lately. She explained the blockade, the invasion, the Queen's escape, their stop on Tatooine, Anakin, the politics, the Jedi dilemma, the battle on Naboo, but she got stuck at the Sith's involvement. "I can't figure what they had to gain by throwing in with the Trade Federation," she concluded.

"Very observant, young one," said Ten-hi approvingly, "but I think you can figure out what the Sith gained."

"Well, they gained temporary control of a planet, but I thought they were warriors," Jiruan responded. "I thought they were more concerned with eliminating the Jedi. How could controlling Naboo help them achieve that goal?"

"You are quite insightful, Jiruan. I sense you will be quite a challenge for me," said Ten-Hi with a mixture of humor and truth.

The funeral was a typical cremation. Jiruan saw the looks on everyone's face and hoped that Qui-Gon had known how much he would be missed. The Queen, Obi-Wan and Anakin stood near by Jiruan and her new Master. Obi-Wan, though obviously the most changed by the loss, stood with a new stone-faces resolve.

"What will happen to me now?" Jiruan heard Anakin ask.

"The Jedi Council has granted me permission to train you," said Obi-Wan heavily. "You will be a Jedi, I promise."

Jiuran almost smacked herself in the head putting a hand on her suddenly throbbing temple. It was the connection once again, but a feeling that somehow, Obi-Wan's promise and undertaking would bring not only an end to him, but the Republic as well.

"Jiruan, you must know something," said Ten-Hi as they left the next day. "I know you believe you were trained at a late age because you had no worldly connections, but that is not the whole truth. There is a prophecy about a Jedi who shall bring balance to the Force. I wasn't sure what that meant until I met you. I still can't explain what it is to bring balance to the Force, but the Council believed for a long time that the 'Chosen One' was you. Now that Anakin has surfaced, they think it may be him. It is still uncertain, but I think it is time that you at least know."

Jiruan tried to drink in what she had just heard. "Why did the Council not wish Anakin's training at first, then?"

Ten-Hi sighed, "He, unlike you, was very close to his mother. His affection for her is perfectly normal for a nine-year-old, but not a Jedi."

Jiruan nodded somberly and set the coordinates for their first mission.


	3. Part III: concurrent to Episode II

The lightsabers sizzled like ice on a hot stove. The red blade hacked and slashed with unremitting fury as the defending turquoise blade flew to block each blow perfectly. The wielder of the red blade was an older man with white hair, dressed in all black. The defender was a young girl with beautiful red hair dressed in a dark reddish-brown tunic. Neither spoke, but had to concentrate on the battle going on at light speed. The red blade finally snapped out of the hold in which the turquoise blade had it and came slicing down…

Jiruan sat up suddenly; she was perfectly safe in the pilot's seat of the starship she was flying back to Couruscant. She checked the coordinates and saw that everything was fine. Out of habit, Jiruan looked back to her Master's usual chair, only to remember that Ten-Hi would not be there. She had been killed by the mysterious figure in Jiruan's dream. He had ambushed them on Muunlist and defeated Ten-Hi Tsugimiru. Jiruan would have been there to help, but she had been caught up in negotiations with the banking clans when Ten-Hi was attacked. She had tried her best to get there, but arrived just in time to see Ten-Hi fall after being hit with the Sith's lightning. The Master-less apprentice had called the Jedi's lightsaber to her and ignited it along with her own turquoise masterpiece. The mysterious man had simply shot lightning at Jiruan and when she could safely move the lightsabers from their blocking positions in front of her face, the figure was gone.

Jiruan had not brought her Master's body with her. She kept the lightsaber, though; Ten-Hi had loved her white bladed masterpiece and would have wished it to stay out of the hands of the ordinary. Haunted by a feeling that is should have been _her_ death, Jiruan had not slept soundly since.

The stars whizzed by in a blur of light, blinding the untrained eye. Jiruan stared at the controls, knowing what each did and being glad she knew so much about the mechanics of the ship. Ten-Hi had always let her pilot. The ship came out of hyperdrive abruptly and Jiruan took the controls. She turned on the comlink to hear the random chatter, hoping it would cheer her up.

The Council had requested to see Jiruan as soon as she arrived. She explained what she had seen of the battle. Somehow, she managed to contain herself when she told of her Master's death. The members of the Council were informed while Jiruan was there of a problem on the landing platform; Senator Amidala, the former Queen of Naboo, had been ambushed. Her bodyguard had been killed, posing as her. The Council dismissed Jiruan and she found her way quickly to her room. After dropping off her few possessions, Jiruan made her way to the windowed meditation room she had loved as a child. Upon arriving, she sensed a familiar presence using it.

"Anakin Skywalker, is that you?" inquired Jiruan. She stuck her head around the corner and saw a tall, lean form in dark robes standing at the window. He turned at the sound of her voice.

"Jiruan! I haven't seen you in ages," Anakin replied cheerfully. His intense blue eyes didn't appear to be seeing her, though. To a Jedi, he was obviously trying to contain something. The moment passed and Anakin's eyes glistened with mischief as they usually did. He took in the sight of Jiruan; her blue eyes sparkled with intelligence and intrigue. Her pale skin was set off by her beautiful dark red hair, crimson-black cloak and red-brown tunic. "Wow, you've certainly grown up," he added.

"So have you," said Jiruan, looking up at him to emphasize his growth spurt. "How are you and Obi-Wan?"

"Oh, we're fine…" replied Anakin discontentedly, playing with a corner of his dark cloak. "How about you and Ten-Hi?"

"My Master was killed on our last mission," said Jiruan tonelessly. "I'm here until the Council can decide if I am ready to become a full Jedi. That won't come until the politics calm, and with the attack this morning, I think I'll be here a while."

"Attack?"

"Didn't you hear?" asked Jiruan. Anakin shook his head so she explained, "The platform on which Senator Amidala's ship landed was rigged with explosives. One of her handmaidens was killed."

"Is she all right?" exclaimed Anakin, almost before Jiruan finished speaking. She smiled, seeing that he had little patience for listening to statements he already knew would be said.

"I think so," said Jiruan calmly. "The Council received the news while I was there to discuss my situation. I believe Master Yoda, Master Windu, Master Ki-Adi-Mundi and Master Plo Koon were going to discuss the attack when they met with Chancellor Palpatine about the separatists."

"Good, good…" muttered Anakin, obviously him mind working fast. He worked his hands furiously; Jiruan didn't let her amusement show until he began pacing.

"Relax, Anakin," she said through laughter. "If the girl planned and fought a war at fourteen, I'm sure she can take care of herself," she added, grabbing his hand to stop him.

"I know, but-" Anakin started and abruptly stopped. He looked down at the hand Jiruan was still touching. Both felt the Force flowing through their hands, stronger than either had ever felt it before. Thoughts, feelings, emotions and ideas flowed between them, as though their minds were the same. They managed to literally wrench their hands apart at last, and each instinctively hunched inward.

Jiruan was the first to speak; "Oh my stars…" she whispered.

"That was unexpected," said Anakin pseudo-innocently with a hand on the back of his neck.

"You really do love her," said Jiruan with concern. Anakin bit his tongue; it was the first time he had heard it confirmed by anyone else. He nodded and glanced out the window. Jiruan put her head in her hands for a moment.

"You won't tell anyone, will you?" said Anakin in total seriousness. His blue eyes blazed with a kind of passion that scared Jiruan; it made her feel absolutely sure that he had no qualms about killing anyone who stood in his way.

"Of course I won't," sighed Jiruan, resigned to non-intervention," but when you get caught, _I- know- nothing_."

"Of course," said Anakin, visibly relaxing and apparently deaf to the second half of Jiruan's statement. She let out a sight of extreme frustration.

"Anakin, do you have any idea what you're taking on?" she half scolded. Anakin looked at her blankly. "If you plan on keeping this a secret, you had better learn how to hide your emotions."

Anakin smiled widely. "Don't make me laugh," he said with too much pride. "They've never dealt with anyone like me."

"Yeah, no Jedi's ever been dumb enough to fall in love," snapped Jiruan. Anakin's eyes narrowed, but Jiruan cut him off before he could speak. "Don't give me that," she said. Neither seemed to realize that Anakin hadn't actually said what he'd been thinking. "If you have my thoughts, then you know that I didn't need mind tricks to suspect you," Jiruan added.

Anakin refused to look her in the eye and confirm the obvious. He was actually amazed that ho one had confronted him about his feelings before. Padmé had been in his mind, heart and soul ever since he had left her on Naboo ten years ago. Jiruan could tell that he was determined to see Padmé before he left Couruscant. Rather than argue, Jiruan searched his thoughts for any other disturbances, which she certainly found.

"You don't know," she gasped softly.

"What?" Anakin said as he popped out of Padmé mode.

"You don't know why they trained you so late," Jiruan clarified.

"Of course I do!" Anakin protested. "They found me late, and they knew they'd need someone with my prowess."

_Keep dreaming, Skywalker,_ thought Jiruan, and then began to explain. "There was a prophecy long ago. I don't know who made it. It says that a Jedi will come and he or she will bring balance to the Force, whatever that means. Anyway, there are two in the Order right now who the Council believes may be their 'Chosen One.'"

"And I'm one of them?" guessed Anakin. Jiruan nodded somberly. He smirked cockily as he asked, "Who's the other one?"

"I am," groaned Jiruan, not nearly as proud of the fact. She and Ankin surveyed each other; both had bright blue eyes, an incredible aptitude for using the Force, skills with a lightsaber and were found at approximately the same age. The only obvious difference was gender.

"We'll see then," said Anakin, very unsure.

"Yeah," replied Jiruan, shifting uncomfortably. A few long minutes passed while both meditated over the "Chosen One." Anakin faced the window with his arms behind his back; Jiruan laid spread eagle on the floor and closed her eyes.

"Argh! This is useless," groaned Anakin restlessly. He let himself flop onto the floor next to Jiruan. She opened her eyes and the two of them stared out at the scene.

"You never had much patience for meditation," Jiruan teased.

"I had better things to do," Anakin explained. "I was sick of dreaming. I didn't come here to stay cooped up inside."

"You have no idea what it's like out there," said Jiruan, eyes closed again and still lying down. "Begging or stealing anything we needed, avoiding rival gangs, ducking random blaster fire…"

"That's Tatooine to a tee," said Anakin flatly. "Just add insane heat in day, insane cold at night, and SAND. Everywhere."

"You slept in a house, don't complain," snapped Jiruan.

Anakin was going to reply, but he sensed his Master coming and decided to save an argument for later. Sure enough, Obi-wan found the two of them, Anakin sitting against the wall the door was on and Jiruan lying in the middle of the room, just as he remembered her. He nodded to Anakin and then just watched Jiruan ignore him.

"You haven't changed, Jiruan," he teased. She smiled widely before kicking her feet over her head and flipping herself into a standing position. She pulled her waist long dark read hair out of her robes' hood and then pulled it out of her face, making certain that Obi-Wan noticed that she was tall enough to look him in the eye.

"Why, Master Kenobi, what a surprise," she joked and nodded in respect.

Obi-Wan groaned, "You _really_ don't have to do that."

"How have you been?" asked Jiruan, totally ignoring his last statement.

"It's been exiting, but I'm afraid I need to borrow Anakin for the evening," said Obi-Wan, and then he explained to his Padawan, "We've been assigned to guard Senator Amidala from further attacks."

Anakin's spirits almost jumped right through the ceiling of the Jedi Temple. Jiruan gave him a short yet fierce look as though telling him; _"Don't open your mouth.."_ Both knew that it would certainly incriminate him. Anakin nodded respectfully and bade Jiruan goodbye as he left with Obi-Wan.

Jiruan sank slowly down to the floor. She tried to see what her Master would have done, but no one had ever dealt with anyone like Anakin. Like she'd said earlier, no Jedi had ever fallen in love before. Jiruan almost wished that she wasn't sworn to secrecy, but knew it wouldn't help any. The Council had been acting strangely toward her ever since Anakin had surfaced. It was as though they weren't trusting Anakin _or_ Jiruan until one of them was proven as the Chosen One. Jiruan was rather frustrated with the distrust towards her; _she_ had never been as reckless or uncontrollable as Ankin. He had been caught sneaking out of the Temple, disregarding Council mandates and participating in illegal races in the lower levels of the planet, among other things.

Resigned to meditate later, Jiruan left to get some food.

"What the-!" Jiruan exclaimed hours later. She'd been sleeping, but woke in a cold sweat, sensing something very wrong. Grabbing for her cloak, she rolled out of bed and raced to the balcony. She arrived just in time to see a bright yellow speeder with a familiar crew in fast pursuit of another speeder. She sighed heavily, thinking she shouldn't expect anything less.

Jiruan was on her way to the meditation chambers once again the next day when she saw Anakin next. One had to pass by the stairway to the High Council meeting room to reach the meditation rooms. Jiruan stopped outside the landing when she realized from the chatter that Obi-Wan and Anakin were inside with the Council.

**"Track down this bounty hunter, you must, Obi-Wan,"** she heard Master Yoda say.

**"Most importantly, find out who he's working for,"** Mace Windu added.

**"What about Senator Amidala? She will still need protecting,"** she heard Obi-Wan ask.

**"Handle that, your Padawan will."**

Jiuran's breath caught in her throat. _Are they crazy?_ she thought to herself. _Or is it a test…_

Her thoughts kept her from hearing the rest of the discussion. When she stopped picking her mind apart, Jiruan saw that Anakin and Obi-Wan had come out of the meeting room and down the stairs; Obi-wan had left and Anakin had just realized that Jiruan was there. With a look of absolute childish jubilance, he bounced over to Jiruan and dragged her to their favorite meditation chamber.

"What's up?" Jiruan asked as she brushed off the static cling from her cloak.

"I have my first assignment on my own!" he exclaimed wildly, doing all he could not to bounce off the walls.

"Congratulations," said Jiruan calmly with her arms crossed. "What is it?" she asked, playing along and hiding her disappointments that Anakin hadn't anticipated her question or realized that she already knew.

"I am to escort Senator Amidala back to Naboo and then act as her protector," he replied officially, reciting what the Council had told him.

Jiruan knew he was expecting an answer so she managed to say, "That must seem very good to you."

"Seem?" repeated Anakin. "It's perfect!"

"Perfect because it's your first mission of because it's with Padmé?" Jiruan hissed.

"What?" coughed Anakin, caught off guard. "Both, I guess," he recovered, running a hand through his hair nervously.

"Have you completely lost it?" shouted Jiruan as she smacked Anakin across his face and stopped his reflexive blows back at her. "The Council isn't stupid'; they'll figure you out eventually. Don't help them do it sooner than they will already!"

Anakin used his old of her arms to push her down. He stalked over to the other side of the room and said, "Dammit, Jiruan. You're the only person who could possibly understand."

"Why the hell would I understand you blatantly breaking the code?" said Jiruan, leaning back on her hands.

Anakin turned around and explained, "Everyone here has known each other forever. The only love they know is sibling and parents' love. No one here could understand what I feel. You've seen the outside world. You know how _to be_ in love. Hell, I'll bet you're the only person in the entire Temple who's not a virgin."

Jiruan threw him the deadliest look she'd ever given anyone. "_Never- speak- of- that- again,_" she snarled, clearly stating each bitter word.

"What's the big deal?" asked Anakin as though commenting on the weather.

"It's none of your business. Make it yours, and you'll dig your own grave," said Jiruan in a voice so cold it could have frozen Mos Eisley.

Anakin stared at her as she gathered her robe and stood up. Jiruan returned his intense gaze silently and crossed her arms fiercely.

"Why is it such a fuss?" asked Anakin. "I don't understand."

Jiruan sighed, exhaling deeply. "You wouldn't," she said calmly. "No one could ever know what it was like for me before the Temple."

Anakin raised and eyebrow and added sarcastically, "Because slavery is such a wonderful life."

"Like I've said, you had food, you had shelter and you had your mother," said Jiruan. She meandered over to the window dreamily.

"For crying out loud, stop victimizing yourself!" Anakin exploded. Jiruan looked at him blankly, so he explained, "We're the only two who know what life is like outside the Temple so if anyone will ever understand you, it's me. Your past makes you unique enough, so why do you keep trying to isolate yourself?"

Jiruan could have sworn steam was coming out of her ears. She hated that he was right. "Have fun on your field trip," she said bitterly and stalked out of the room.

Jiruan did not go with Obi-Wan, Captain Typho and the handmaiden Dormé to see off Anakin and the Senator. She was still as displeased as she could be without considering it anger. The Council, in Jiruan's opinion, had recognized that Anakin was ready for the trials and chosen the most appropriate: his feelings for Padmé Amidala. He would need to overcome his emotions if he wanted to be a Jedi.

Anakin wasn't the only thing bothering Jiruan. The Council was reacting to him by treating Jiruan with the same restrictions and, it seemed, punishing her for his mistakes. She assumed that the Council wasn't letting her become a full Jedi yet because of him. It was as though they wanted to see who was the true Chosen One before letting either one excel.

To keep her mind off of the mess her life was becoming, Jiruan often took to monitoring the political situation. It was, after all, the reason the Council gave for not letting Jiruan rise to the level of Jedi Knight. She sat in on the senate meetings and watched the childish bickering. They were hopelessly divided about creating an army. Every now and then, Master Yoda or Master Windu would also observe. When they did, Jiruan did all that she could to give off the image of a true Jedi, hoping that they would notice her maturity and patience.

If she was not watching the Senators argue and name-call, Jiruan was meditating. It was when she was leaving the meditation chambers hallway when she saw Obi-Wan on his way out. "Leaving so soon?" she asked as he approached.

"Yes, I'm off to Kamino," said Obi-Wan. He beckoned for Jiruan to walk with him, apparently to his ship.

"I've never heard of Kamino," said Jiruan, almost jogging to keep with his pace. "I though I'd at least heard of most star systems."

"Well, according to the records, it doesn't exist," explained Obi-Wan. "According to the center of gravity, however, it should still be there."

Jiruan slowed her pace while trying to process what she'd just heard, but sped up again to catch Obi-Wan. "That's disturbing," she mumbled.

"Very," added Obi-Wan. They had reached the hanger by now. It was a rusty amber color from the setting sun and red lights above. A causeway went down the middle and there were ships on either side in pits on the causeway. Obi-Wan chose a small ship and began readying it to go. Jiruan also hopped into the pit.

"That's not the only thing bothering you," she said firmly, as she attached the fuel line.

Obi-Wan sighed, "I am anxious to find this attacker not only for Senator Amidala's sake, but also for Anakin's. I do not think it wise to send him to the most beautiful outer rim planet with a beautiful woman who has been on his mind since he started training."

Jiruan nodded knowingly and explained how she believed it was indeed the trials; Obi-Wan agreed and told her how he believed Anakin was not yet ready. "How so?" Jiruan asked, stopping her work momentarily.

"You know he lacks patience," said Obi-Wan, checking the engines. "He's too brash and doesn't think before acting."

"Did _you_?" asked Jiruan harshly. She clapped a hand over her mouth in shock. "I… I… that wasn't…"

"You sounded like Anakin," Obi-Wan stated for her. "I'm beginning to think there's something to that idea of-"

"I have to go!" said Jiruan, not having heard a word Obi-Wan had said. She climbed back to the causeway and made her way to her room. Only then did she collapse on her bed. It had been as though Anakin had jumped into her mind and put an angry tone on the words she'd meant so innocently. Jiruan had known since she'd met Anakin that they were connected, but she hadn't any idea what it meant until recently.

A thought suddenly hit Jiruan that had never occurred to her. _What if I don't have parents?_ She realized Anakin had been conceived by midichlorians; what if she had, too? The kids on the street had found her when she was about four and she had no memory of anything before then. If her calculations were right, that was the year Anakin had been born. Their connection as well as similarities made it seem like they were two halves of a once whole person…

"You're crazy," Jiruan told herself, but denial only made the feeling stronger. It was as though the connection had been opened when they had brushed hands. As she and Anakin had discovered the day before, both were strong with the Force and skilled with a lightsaber. There had been more, though; Jiruan had never let it show, but she was also tempted as Anakin was by the Dark Side. He had been right when he said she'd been in love. She'd seriously considered for an evening that the Dark Side would not restrict her as the Jedi Order did; however, she had realized as soon as she'd sobered up that a Sith could have no attachment even to her Master, little less a lover.

Banishing the thoughts as she always did, Jiruan closed her eyes and fell asleep with the setting sun.


	4. Part III continued

Jiruan had a day of peace before the next disturbance courtesy of Obi-Wan and Anakin. She'd been planning on spending the day looking up old friends- whoever was still alive, that is- but scrapped those plans when the Council called for all Jedi to go to Geonosis. Rather than ponder how or why Obi-Wan had gotten to Geonosis from his imaginary planet, Jiruan made her way to the docking bay to get a ship.

"Jiruan, come here for a second," said Mace Windu as she was preparing a fighter. She stopped immediately and bowed as was required.

"Yes, Master Windu?" she asked.

"Because of the connection between you and Anakin, I must ask an opinion," he began. "Skywalker was told to stay where he was on Tatooine and to protect Senator Amidala. Do you think he complied?"

Jiruan closed her eyes briefly, feeling for the connection to the too-emotional young man. "If I may be frank, Master, I believe he and the Senator are en-route to Geonosis, if not they aren't there already," she replied somberly.

"I figured as much," signed Windu. He had hoped that Anakin would prove himself on this mission, but he seemed less and less like a Jedi as it continued, little less the Chosen One. Perhaps Windu had been right all along in saying that the Chosen One was Jiruan…

"Master, what's wrong?" Jiruan inquired innocently. Normally, a student would not ask such a question of one of _The_ Masters, but Mace Windu had kept in closer contact with his finding than with most other students.

"I sense that too much is at work," he stated. "This connection between the two of you seems much more significant that I originally thought. I am beginning to suspect…" he trailed off in thought. "I don't wish to trouble you before this undertaking."

"Of course, Master," said Jiruan, her head drooping. She didn't bother to hide her disappointment.

"When you return, child. Now is not the time," said Windu in a comforting voice. "May the Force be with you."

"And with you, Master," said Jiruan, bowing as the powerful Jedi went to his own ship. She climbed back up to make sure the fuel tanks were full. After disconnecting the fuel line and restraining gear, she hopped into the cockpit and awaited the signal to take off.

The trip, as always, was uneventful. Piloting was not required while in hyperspace, so Jiruan carried on a conversation with the R4 unit about the physics of their craft. Her first impression of Geonosis was a red, dusty wasteland. A royal Naboo starship was nowhere to be seen, but Jiruan could sense that Anakin and Padmé were already inside the gigantic, dusty buildings. The fleet of fighters and starships landed on the outskirts of the only establishment they'd detected. The group of brown and black robed figures sensed all life forms from the surrounding areas flocking to a large stadium in the middle of the city and followed.

"Master Windu, where is Master Yoda?" asked Jiruan. She'd stuck close to Mace Windu after leaving the ships.

"He has gone to Kamino," Windu answered, and then looked at her with a knowing smirk. "I'm guessing you've picked up from your eavesdropping that Kamino is host of a Clone Army created without our knowledge for the Republic?"

Jiruan bit her bottom lip in embarrassment. She'd been hoping that Master Windu wouldn't scope her mind for that. "I'm sorry, Master," she replied softly with her head down.

"That's ok, Jiruan," said Windu in a peaceful voice. "I understand your plight."

She smiled and tried to focus on the task at hand. "Oh no," she whispered as she sensed Anakin and Padmé's situation.

"What is it?" asked Windu. Being that he was not connected as Jiruan was to Anakin, Windu could not sense as much about the boy as Jiruan could.

"Anakin and Senator Amidala not only arrived here before us, they've been arrested and sentenced to execution with Master Obi-Wan!" exclaimed Jiruan. Master Windu nodded and quickened his pace. A few simple mind tricks got them through the admissions free of charge. Windu instructed them to spread out around the arena. Jiruan attempted to follow him, but he stopped her.

"Jiruan, I must go alone to confront Dooku," he said without room for debate.

"But I-"

"No. You should go with the rest," Windu instructed. Jiruan, unlike her counterpart, who was being chained to a pole at the moment, knew when to let things die. Bowing in respect, Jiruan turned around and found a viewpoint on a higher level.

A Geonosian began reading the crimes Obi-Wan, Anakin and Padmé had supposedly committed. Not understanding a word of the Geonosian language, Jiruan watched Padmé pick the loch on her shackles, thinking that the Senator had much more street smarts than many gave her credit for. Count Dooku stood in a sort of VIP. area directly across from where Jiruan was. Some important looking Geonosians stood by him with Nute Gunray, the Trade Federation Viceroy. A man clad in a strange and unfamiliar armor was also present. The command induced by him suggested that he was a bounty hunter.

Padmé proceeded to climb up the post to which she had been chained as the monsters were released. A spider-like thing, a cat-like thing and a rhinoceros-like thing came out into the open and chose their victims. The rhino thing called the reek charged first. Anakin jumped just in time to avoid it, landing on its back and using its horn to break the chain's attachment to the pole. Obi-Wan didn't have any better luck, except that the ackley, the spider thing, stabbed through his chain. He stole a long spear from a guard and used it as a pole vault and escaped a second attack. Padmé didn't manage to avoid the first attack of the cat-like nexu as it tore at her shirt and ripped a few deep cuts in her back. Jiruan noticed the Trade Federation Viceroy having a fit each time Padmé successfully defended herself. Anakin and his mind controlled reek took care of the nexu, and Padmé hopped down from the pole, landing closely behind him. Jiruan almost had a fit herself when she saw them sharing a quick kiss before picking up Obi-Wan.

The near successful scene changed, though, as several destroyer droids rolled out and positioned themselves ready to attack if the reed and its passengers made a single move. Unarmed, even two Jedi were not a match for droidekas.

Not a moment too soon, Mace Windu's purple bladed lightsaber lit up behind the overly confident Count Dooku. Jedi all around the arena turned their attention to the executive box, watching for signal that finally came in the form of a salute.

"Finally!" said a voice to Jiruan's left over the hum of lightsabers. A short woman of about Jiruan's age with black robes and black hair with silver highlights stood holding a gold bladed ligtsaber. "I was beginning to think he forgot why we're all here," she added.

"Do I know you?" asked Jiruan politely as she adjusted the blade strength on her turquoise lightsaber and tried to keep an eye on Master Windu.

"You will by the end of this!" said the stranger, but she did not have time to elaborate. Battle droids entered the stadium from all directions so the Jedi leaped, jumped and dove into the arena. Jiruan flipped into the center of a platoon of droids. She swept her lightsaber in a full horizontal circle before she landed, taking off all the droids' heads. The stranger from the balcony landed near by, using the Force to push a droids out of her way and into a junk heap. Assuming a defensive stance, they stood back-to-back, deflecting shots back at droids as many other Jedi were doing.

"So, who are you?" Jiruan asked, as her blade became a blur of Form Three motion.

"Call me Aleia," said the stranger as she ran a droid through with her golden blade and sent the remains flying at the droids behind it. "How about you?"

Jiruan told her as she deflected a stream of shots. Neither of them bothered to notice that their casual conversation was taking place amidst the biggest battle the galaxy had seen in almost a millennium. Anakin and Padmè fought by their overturned cart; Obi-Wan formed a team similar to Aleia and Jiruan's. Dooku, though, remained in his top box.

"Watch it!" yelled Aleia as a near by pair of Jedi barely avoided a blast sent their way by the bounty hunter. He soon turned his attention to Mace Windu.

"Master!" yelled Jiruan and several other Jedi. The reek went after the bounty hunter, but was no match for him. The bullish creature fell over lifeless with bullet holes all through its underside. Mace Windu attacked with an almost Sith-like fury and the bounty hunter's head was cleared from his body within minutes.

Meanwhile, Obi-Wan was attempting to eliminate the last of the beasts. The Ackley was certainly quite a challenge for any Jedi. Finally, with a lightsaber stabbed into its face, the creature fell. Obi-Wan joined the rest of the Jedi as they crowded around the overturned cart in a last desperate defense. Jiruan found herself with Aleia on one side and Ki-Adi-Mundi on the other. Mace Windu and Obi-Wan were just beyond them. The droids suddenly froze in place on Dooku's command.

**"Master Windu!"** called Dooku in his overseeing, aristocratic manner. **"You have fought gallantly, worthy of recognition in the Archives of the Jedi. Now it is finished. Surrender, and your lives will be spared."**

"What type of idiots does this guy take us for?" groaned Aleia, Jiruan and Anakin.

"We're totally outnumbered," Obi-Wan reminded them without looking at who was talking.

**"We will not become hostages for you to use as barter, Dooku,"** said Windu forcefully.

**"Then I'm sorry, old friend,"** said Dooku without any trace of remorse. The droids lifted their blasters and prepared to launch one final assault when a new element of battle flew overhead. Several ships rained blaster fire over the droid. Yoda's voice could be heard commanding them.

"The Clone Army…" gasped Jiruan and Obi-Wan as the ship landed and the troopers vaulted off the ship. Exhausted, the Jedi took the troopers' places on the ships. Jiruan and Aleia had other ideas, though.

"Come on," hissed Jiruan and the two of them raced into the doors which the droids had been in. A dark, wide corridor led them to the inner workings of the Federation stranglehold. Both girls sensed that everything they wished to find was upstairs and then used the Force to leap up onto the surrounding balcony. Strangely absent of Geonosians, the high ceilinged rock gave the room a dark orange-ish glow.

"They must have fled," reasoned Aleia. She sat down at the master computer and tried to hack into the database. It didn't take long for Jiruan to discover several projection devises in the meantime.

"This is some sort of meeting room," she hypothesized. They sensed Geonosians coming and hid behind a pillar; Dooku was not far behind them. Unable to decipher the conversation, the girls peeked around the corner and caught quite a sight. They saw plans illuminated on the projection devises; it looked like a moon, but the perfect spherical form and giant circular gauge in one side, it was obviously plans for a space station. Jiruan pulled a small camera off her belt and snapped several pictures of the contraption.

"What are you doing?" whispered Aleia in annoyance. "It's not like you'll forget a sight like that."

Jiruan stopped in surprise. "They're to show the Council when we report," she replied.

Aleia snorted in disgust. "Figures," she mumbled. The girls didn't speak until Dooku had left with the plans. Silently, they crept out via the top execution box.

"Where's your ship?" asked Aleia when they exited the stadium.

"It's-" Jiruan began, but stopped abruptly. The entire area where the Jedi ships had been was clear, replace with a gigantic crater.

"Need a lift?" said Aleia, gesturing toward a small, streamline ship a few feet away from the crater. It looked barely big enough for one.

"We just need to find the other Jedi," said Jiruan, ignoring the individuality of the fighter, an obvious sign that it was not among the Jedi fleet.

"_You_ need to find them, not me," said Aleia. "Hop on the top and hold on, I'll take you to where I sense a battle."

"Oh, no-" Jiruan almost interrupted under her breath. "I need to get there fast, Anakin is going to get himself killed," she groaned, leaping onto Aleia's ship.

"Big loss," sighed Aleia sarcastically.

As they took off, Jiruan felt a burst of pain all over her body that almost made her loose her grip. A vision of Count Dooku shooting lightning at her flashed briefly before her eyes, accompanied by Anakin's screaming.

"Great, now I feel his pain, too," Jiruan murmured without emotion. Finally, she had an explanation for the strange emotional roller coaster she'd experienced in the past few days; Anakin had been with Padmé. She tossed her head, futilely trying to her hair out of her face. When Anakin started his offensive, Jiruan could feel the power he was wielding. Dull pain began searing through her; Anakin couldn't feel the stress he was under because of the adrenalin, but Jiruan certainly could. She was sure beyond a doubt that Anakin felt the worst blow, though. Jiruan screamed in the most extreme pain she'd ever felt as Anakin's right arm was severed at the elbow.

"Are you dying up there or just enjoying the view?" shouted Aleia sarcastically.

"I'm not dying, but Anakin will be," Jiruan shouted back.

"Who the hell is this Anakin, anyways?" exclaimed Aleia.

"I'll explain later," said Jiruan, breathing easier as Anakin passed out. The next few minutes were peaceful, but then Anakin came to. Jiruan gasped as she saw the image of a gigantic rock falling on her, but quickly saw Yoda stop it just in time.

"Here it is," said Aleia, stopping outside the cave in which the battle had taken place. Dooku's ship flew out and zoomed away. Padmé was already flying inside and embraced the badly injured Anakin when she reached him.

"Thank you," said Jiruan after she was back on the ground, holding her arm discreetly. "I'm glad to have met you, Aleia."

"I'm glad I ran in to you, too," said Aleia. "I look forward to when our paths cross again.

Jiruan watched the ship race off into the sky, and then she turned to the cave. "I told him to be cautious," she groaned, glancing at the pair of Senator and Padawan exiting to the Clone troopers' ship.

The stars all blurred together in the windows of the Clone trooper ships. The side covers moved farther back on the ship in light-speed to make it more aerodynamic, and thick, glass coverings came down over the holding compartments. Blinding even to the trained eye, that sight was not the most upsetting. In a back corner of the ship, Anakin laid across Padmé's lap as she gently ran her soft hands through his hair. She didn't seem to mind that the wound from his sheared off arm had bled all over her clothes, although she kept a good watch on the makeshift bandage and changed it as necessary.

Yoda, Obi-Wan and Jiruan sat in the other back corner across from the Padawan and Senator. Yoda seemed to be in deep meditation to recover and rebuild himself from the battle with Dooku while Jiruan wrapped Obi-Wan's bleeding and burned thigh. The two of them stared at the pair across the way bitterly. Both were close enough to Anakin to know that he was only feigning sleep and loving every minute he got away with it.

"You knew, didn't you," said Obi-Wan softly. It wasn't a question.

Jiruan averted her eyes guiltily. "What was I supposed to do?" she asked stiffly. "Should I have ran off and tattled to you and the Council?" she added as she tugged on the bandage a little too hard and Obi-Wan yelped at the pain. Jiruan apologized quickly.

"Correct, you were, in your actions, Jiruan," said Yoda without opening his large eyes. Obi-Wan and Jiruan looked up suddenly, not having expected any conversation from the meditating Master.

"I was, Master Yoda?" Jiruan managed to choke out.

Yoda opened his eyes and looked at the two of them directly. "Overcome his emotions, Skywalker must," he explained. "Know this, the Council does." His tone became softer. "Accomplish this feat alone, Anakin must."

Jiruan and Obi-Wan nodded and sensed that the moment had passed. Yoda picked up his cane and hobbled through the clone troopers to the other side of the ship where he sank back into his rehabilitation. Jiruan returned to Obi-Wan's wound They looked back at Anakin and Padmé, neither one needing the Force to tell them that Anakin's emotions weren't going to be avoided easily.

"It doesn't have to end this way," Obi-Wan whispered.

"What?" Jiruan said, not having expected any more conversation.

"You remember why you were brought into the Order at your advanced age," Obi-Wan reminded.

"Don't give me that 'Chosen One' crap," Jiruan snapped. "I haven't believed it's me for years."

"What about the connection?" Obi-Wan asked. Jiruan stopped tying the bandage and though a ghost had passed through her. Obi-Wan continued, "Master Windu informed me years ago. What do you make of it?"

"I don't know," said Jiruan, exasperated. "I just wish he'd stop going off to get himself killed, though, because I feel his pain."

Obi-Wan held in a chuckle; "You're not the only one who wants him to stop acting so suicidal."

Jiruan smiled and asked, "Master Obi-Wan, what do _you_ think? You've known both of us longest, what's your best guess?"

Obi-Wan paused and looked again at his Padawan in the arms of his love. Then he looked at Jiruan sitting next to him, hugging her knees in exhaustion. "I think that the Order _and_ the Republic will need both of you in order to survive."

Jiruan paced in the hallway outside the Council's meeting room. She had a bad feeling about everything that had happened on Geonosis and afterward. Yoda's mood on the way home had summarized the predicament everyone was now in. It didn't make any sense that Jiruan was as nervous as she was; she wasn't Anakin. The Council was beginning to trust her again…

"Jiruan," called Master Windu from the door. She looked up jerkily, departing from her thoughts. "We are ready for you."

She nodded, took a deep breath, and entered behind him. The lateness of the hour was evident outside the windows; an amber-crimson glow had taken hold of the city once again. The Masters sat in their respective chairs around the edge of the candlelit room. Jiruan felt strangely exposed in the center of the room.

"I discovered some very disturbing things in the Federation's stranglehold on Geonosis," she began, forcing her voice to be steady. "I'm hoping you can confirm my findings."

She walked over to the projection devise on the entrance wall and inserted her camera. A moment later, a holo-projection of the space station was in the center of the room.

"We though this was a moon at first, but as you see, it's too spherical and has that giant circular dent," Jiruan explained.

The members of the Council started intently at the would-be moon. They discussed among themselves in volumes low enough that Jiruan could not hear. A few gave her strange looks.

Master Plo Koon was the first to voice their collective suspicion. "This looks like a space station," he said through his thick breath mast. Several agreed with him. Jiruan smiled in relief.

"We were thinking it was something along those lines, but I wanted to be certain," she explained.

"We?" questioned Yoda, his large ears perking up at the second use of the pronoun.

"A girl of about my age was with me," Jiruan told them. "Her name was Aleia."

Stiffness took hold of the Council; their faces turned suddenly ice cold. The nearest Master shut off the projection and announced to the rest, "This is surely Aleia Hayley Madre, is it not?" He addressed the question to Jiruan.

"I don't know her sir-name," she replied softly.

"Short, was she?" asked Yoda. "With black and silver hair?"

"And a golden bladed lightsaber?" added Ki-Adi-Mundi.

"Yes…" answered Jiruan, completely confused.

"Jiruan, you must not make a habit of associating with Aleia Madre," said Master Windu gravely. "She is dangerous, and she is not a member of the Order. With Skywalker's situation, we will need to depend on you in the coming Civil War."

"Dangerous?" repeated Jiruan nervously, fingering her Padawan learner's braid. "I don't-"

"Do not jeopardize your promotion to the level of Jedi Knight for a person you hardly know," scolded Yarell Poof, his second set of arms gripping the chair.

Jiruan turned to face him in doubled shock. "Promotion," she reiterated slowly and deliberately.

"The Council does not wish to delay your progress any further," explained Master Windu gently. "We shall monitor you closely now, so I suggest you be careful around Aleia."

"I see, Master," Jiruan replied, doing all she could not to fly through the ceiling.

The Council dismissed her and once she was down the hall a ways, Jiruan jumped in the air for joy. Elation was all she felt now that the Council had renewed faith in her.

"Jiruan!" called Aleia as she was leaving the droid run hospital of the Jedi. "You have no idea how nice it is to see a friendly face."

"Hi- what the hell are you doing here?" asked Jiruan with a smile.

"I'm attempting to find Obi-Wan," said Aleia. "We knew each other years ago. Anakin says to try the Temple…"

"You've never been there, have you?" asked Jiruan as it dawned on her. Aleia shook her head. Jiruan smiled and advised, "Ask one of the Padawans to take you to Master Kenobi. Try to avoid anyone else."

"They warned you about me!" said Aleia cheerfully as though the fact was a source of pride for her. Jiruan laughed at bid Aleia goodbye as she entered Anakin's room. The sight stopped her dead; Anakin had a breath tube attached to his nose, IVs all up his left arm while his right was attached to some sort of machine, assumingly for bleeding.

"Another visitor?" he croaked groggily.

"Glad to see you, too," groaned Jiruan. "By the way, you look dead."

"Thanks, Jiruan," said Anakin heavily.

"So how are you?" asked Jiruan sincerely as she sat down on the bed.

"Shit, that's how," he smirked.

"How was the ride home?" Jiruan snapped with a smirk. A dreamy look came across Anakin's face just long enough for Jiruan to slap it away. "Snap out of it. Master Obi-Wan and Master Yoda saw you," she lectured.

"Jiruan," Anakin said seriously. "She loves me, too. I don't care if the Council knows: they can't take that away."

"Dammit, Ani!" Jiruan shouted. "What sedatives do they have you on?"

"A few… I didn't know your hair was blue…" said Anakin, following a hallucination with his left index finger.

"Fucking morphine," sighed Jiruan as she rolled her eyes.

Anakin snapped out of his sedative trance as though he could use the Force to regain control momentarily. "You have not idea how many wounds love can heal," he said in complete genuineness.

Jiruan looked at him scornfully; "I don't have the same wounds as you do," she replied.

"What about the one you gave yourself to?" asked Anakin gently. It took all the self-control Jiruan possessed not to reach into the Force and strangle the wounded Padawan. Anakin continued, "You still have to tell me about that."

"I didn't give myself, I was taken," said Jiruan dangerously. "What makes you think I will _ever_ tell you?"

"Because I'll find out his name," said Anakin in a voice that confirmed to Jiruan that the connection was still open to him as well. Jiruan gave him the most hateful look she possessed.

"Fine," she groaned in defeat. "Where do I begin?"

"I don't care, just spill," said Anakin almost energetically.

Jiruan took a deep breath and tried to remember the incident she'd long suppressed. "Some things aren't as glamorous as they appear," she began, "especially on the street. Situations aren't what they seem; people- _men_ aren't what they seem, especially the ones who know how gullible a seven year old is."

Anakin looked as though someone had just ripped out his liver. "You- you were… how could such a beautiful thing become so hurtful?" he asked naively.

"Rape is ugly, Anakin, that's how," said Jiruan calmly, as though she had suddenly made peace with the past.

"But I thought you were in love," though Anakin aloud.

"You're combining two separate events into one, Anakin," said Jiruan mysteriously. "_That_ was someone else, only three years ago." She did not go on to explain.

"Aren't you going to tell me about him?" Anakin demanded after a moment.

Jiruan smiled, still mysterious. "Sorry, Anakin," she said mischievously. "Only one deeply personal, revealing story per visit." With that, she left for the docking bays. She was scheduled to be among the group of Jedi leading the second battle of the Clone Wars on the Rishi Maze.

Things were finally falling into place. Anakin was subdued and restrained, Jiruan was leading a battle and the Council was beginning to trust her again. She didn't worry about who they thought the Chosen One was; Jiruan just wanted to be a full Jedi Knight. She reached the docking bay and leaped onto the Clone ship, ready for anything.


	5. Part IV: concurrent to Clone Wars

The crystal is the heart of the blade.   
The heart is the crystal of the Jedi.  
The Jedi is the crystal of the Force.  
The Force is the blade of the heart.

_  
_  
The scene on planet Hypori was not a pretty one, to say the least. What was left of the dozen Jedi was a blur of motion, dodging shots, reflecting shorts and getting beaten.

"Do not give up!" ordered Maser Ki-Adi-Mundi, his green blade circling in front of him. The Clones were all dead, and the remaining Jedi had to leap over the bodies.

"Now I remember why I never wanted to join the Order!" shouted Aleia. Jiruan had been promoted to Jedi Knight a few months back and Aleia hadn't missed a single chance to giver her some good-natured teasing about it. The girls were working in a stance similar to the battle on Geonosis. It worked well until something landed between them, forcing the girls to dive apart. Jiruan flipped herself to an upright position and almost fell back over when she saw what had forced them apart. The blaster fire ceased.

"What the hell…" gasped Jiruan.

"Grievous," hissed Aleia about the stranger.

A white droid (Jiruan assumed it was a droid) stood before them. Its body was skeletal and the skeleton pieced off in sharp pieces. Its pure white cape, however, suggested a vanity not often found in machines, and its eyes looked strangely reptilian. The thing's head turned 360 degrees to scan the area.

"Jedi," it said in a husky voice that was anything but droid-like. "You die now." It turned to face Aleia, who held her gold bladed lightsaber in her right hand while her left held a second which was not ignited. "You escaped me once before, but that shall not happen again," the thing said after regarding her.

Jiruan pulled out her master's lightsaber. She had never used it, but now if any was the time. The white blade ignited smoothly; its familiar hum and glow was comforting to Jiruan. Aleia ignited her other lightsaber, and the rest of the Jedi choked on their collective breath; it was bright, Sith blood crystal red.

The two girls circled the monstrous droid thing as the battle droids began firing again. The creature picked up the lightsaber of a fallen Jedi and ignited it; the blade was emerald green. Aleia and Jiruan came at him from both sides, each wielding her two lightsabers with the greatest possible speed. They attacked with fury, hacking and slashing with incredible precision and accuracy. The deadly droid, however, parried expertly as though he had been through the same training the Jedi had. Strangely, despite being the best team the galaxy would ever see, Aleia and Jiruan could make no headway on this thing. They were nearing exhaustion, but it didn't even look tired. But if it were a droid, it would never get tired; it would just endure until they could take no more…

"Don't give up!" Jiruan yelled, picking herself up a few feet away. "Think of the Republic!"

"Of course," said Aleia, not bothering to hide her disdain for Jiruan's annoying and unwavering patriotism. She used the Force to jump backwards and land next to Jiruan. The girls nodded at each other and launched an attack that had ended several of their duels in the past few months against some very skilled opponents. Aleia dove low to take out his footing while Jiruan diverted his attention to her furious attack up high.

This thing- alive, dead, somewhere in between or droid- was better than any of the opponents any Jedi had ever faced. He knew the one, almost impossible to detect flaw in their attack and parried excellently. He kicked out at Aleia and she rolled out of the way just in time to avoid his spiked foot. Jiruan was not so lucky. She attempted to turn herself slightly to avoid his erect lightsaber, but he attacked at the same time. Jiruan threw her arms out in front of her, using her 2 lightsabers to push off of his one and propel her body away.

It wasn't enough, though. The creature still managed to tip its blade slightly and scorched Jiruan from her navel almost to the nape of her neck. She screamed in pain and fell to the ground.

"_Jiruan_!" shouted Aleia. The monster had taken interest in a group of Jedi beginning to crowd near a space ship crash. Aleia dragged Jiruan to the shelter of a Clone trooper ship. "Don't die on me now!"

"Anakin…" Jiruan mumbled incoherently. "I understand now…"

"Jiruan, come on, rest, you're bleeding heavily," said Aleia frantically.

Jiruan wasn't listening. She was loosing blood fast and her red-brown tunic was almost the color of her dark red hair. The pain was unbearable and the wound was bleeding too strongly for the heat from the attack to properly cauterize it. Her vision blurring, Jiruan felt the connection between her and Anakin growing shorter and stronger.

"I was right," she groaned, barely audible; "We are one essence."

"JIRUAN!"

The scene faded; the background was a bright city full of Clone troopers marching the Intergalactic Banking clan onto their ships. Aleia's face melted into Obi-Wan's as her perspective became Anakin's view. Jiruan could tell he had felt her pain while flying back to Muunlist, but was now able to ignore it.

**"I'm sorry, Master,"** said Anakin. **"You were right. It was a trap layout by the Sith, and I ran headlong into it, but I emerged victorious."**

"JIRUAN! Stay with me here!" Aleia screamed back on Harpouri.

**"Indeed, but that battle should never have been fought,"** scolded Obi-Wan on Muunlist. **"I find the Sith's interest in you most troublesome…"**

The rest of Obi-Wan's lecture and Aleia's pleading became softer as they became one. Jiruan sighed as she lost total consciousness. She felt her power, her being, and her very essence separating from her body. Pain was instantly gone as Jiruan found herself looking on the scene from above.

Aleia finally stopped calling to Jiruan's lifeless body. She closed Jiruan's eyes and threw the crimson black cape over her. With determination, she picked herself up and reignited her lightsabers. The battle was almost over, and the Jedi had been saved by a cavalry. General Grievous turned to face the approaching Aleia.

"You should have died many times, Tachi," he said huskily, using the alias under which Aleia was known in some parts of the galaxy.

"_You_ shouldn't even _be_ here," she replied, being the one responsible for the crash that forced the general into cyborg body

Grievous smiled, somehow, and pulled out his pillage: eleven lightsabers. He had placed them between his finger-like appendages on three of his legs, or was it two arms and a leg… "Attack me, if you must," he said evilly. "It is futile."

"I have no need to battle a droid," she said patronizingly. Aleia flipped over his head and put on a Jedi burst of speed to reach her ship. _Her_ destiny would not be settled so easily.

General Grievous surveying the scene and saw no survivors. _Madre's escape, though avoidable, was not unexpected,_, he thought as he returned to the Federation ship. It had been a successful day.

_There is no emotion; there is peace.  
There is no ignorance; there is knowledge.  
There is no passion; there is serenity.  
There is no death; there is the Force._


End file.
